It's a dangerous business, going out your door…

Yesterday, college ended. I took my last exam, met with my senior seminar professor about my performance, and dragged out my packing boxes.

As my four years in Morris draw to a close, I can’t help but reminisce about how far I’ve come. If I could go back in time and tell pre-college Amelia who she would become, she would have laughed in my face.

Become a camp counselor? Travel the world? Become even more book-obsessed? HA. Very funny, future Amelia.

Typical Morris.

In many ways, college has surprised me. I came in extremely ambitious–not exactly sure what I wanted to do, but eager to work hard and achieve material success. Who’d have thought that attending a tiny and extremely liberal school on the prairie would end in being called to full-time ministry.

I distinctly remember move-in day freshman year. The bundle of nerves constricting my stomach, numbly hugging my parents goodbye, blindly being hearded from event to event, a constant stream of faces and people. I remember calling home on day two of classes, sobbing to my mom that I couldn’t do it. Months of homesickness, of unhappiness, of adjustment.

It took time for me to find my bearings here. It took ages to find my true friends.

Once I found my place, I’d like to say that things were wonderful from there. That life was easy. That I plugged through four years of reading lists, essays, finals, and meetings with happy bliss, surrounded by a wonderful group of friends. To an extent, those things are all true. I certainly did all those things and I will forever be thankful for all the wonderful people I’ve met at Morris.

Academics aside, college is HARD. There’s never been a year that hasn’t been a struggle in some way. I spent three out of my four years in some kind of isolation–be it physical, spiritual, emotional, etc. Sophomore year was my favorite–I had a spectacular roommate, loved my classes, had my best friends by my side, and got to be in leadership for our local campus ministry. But even then, things were never fully sunshine.

But then again–that’s life. It’s never going to be all you want it to be.

Some people always say that high school is the best time of your life. Others claim that your college years take the cake. Honestly, I hope both camps are wrong. I’ve loved college, but I’m not going to let myself cling to these days when I know there are better ones to come.

I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve made memories that I will always cherish. I got to study literature, language, and art. I travelled the world and lived out my dreams. I discovered that there is so much more to me than I ever thought possible. I’m incredibly proud of how much I’ve accomplished.

I came to Morris to study what I’m passionate about and it was wonderful. Now it’s time to chase the next passion. I don’t know where I’ll be a year from now, but I’m excited to see where my path leads.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome to Keep Your Feet! I’m Amelia, a Minnesotan in my twenties working as a librarian in a small town. Here on my corner of the internet, I share my love of books, cats, travel, and adventure. Feel free to pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and come along.

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